UK Expert: No Scientific Evidence about Possible Strong Earthquake on Balkans

Society | November 25, 2008, Tuesday // 00:00

There is no real scientific evidence to support rumors of a forthcoming, 7-point magnitude on the Richter scale earthquake on the Balkans, Rodger Masson, a seismologists with the British Geological Survey explained on Tuesday in a special interview for the Darik radio.

The expert also pointed out that it was nearly impossible to predict an earthquake and added that aftershocks, becoming weaker and less frequent with time, were a normal occurrence.

"I do not believe that a new strong earthquake is a possibility based only on the fact that an earthquake occurred in Sofia on November 15. Of course, it is very likely that aftershocks are going to happen, but they would be much weaker. The chances to have a major earthquake on the Balkans are definitively not greater then last year," the seismologist stated.

When asked if there were any signals to help predict an earthquake, Masson explained that some earthquakes were preceded by many weaker shocks, but one could never be certain if those would be preliminary socks indicating a upcoming earthquake or simply smaller earthquakes, which was most often the case.

Other indications sometimes include change in the gases emanated by the earth right before an earthquake, the seismologist explained.
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